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Vatican released new list of 7 deadly sins

By bluepanjeet on Mar 11, 2008 in *Magisterium

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How many sins do you have? (bilang bilang) now you can include this to your list. The Vatican has just released a new list of mortal sins that can be included in the sacrament of penance. According to the papal newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, the guidance came when Vatican’s Archbishop Gianfranco Girotti spoke about the Modern evils of our time. He also elaborated that man’s sins today are not just limited to the individual’s culpability but it also has a social resonance. We can aptly remember that five popes have already stated in their previous encyclicals (Rerum Novarum, Pacem in Terris etc) in the past centuries that “social injustice” is a grave sin. Now this list is not new, I repeat, it’s not new, contradictory to some pessimist that the Vatican created sins, the apostolic penitentiary just outlined and defined the sins of modern man to guide them in their penitence especially now that the lenten season is finally here. It was only defined for the guidance of the faithful. While smokers and burners continue their spree, Vatican has reminded that polluting and destroying the environment is also considered as a mortal sin. We can note that in the papacy of John Paul II and Benedict XIV, the Vatican has become more environmentally conscious, installing photovoltaic cells on buildings in order to produce electricity. While genetic manipulation has remained as an uncharted region for most of the scientists and ethicist, the Vatican directly oppose any kind of human experimentation including stem cell research (which destroys human embryos), cloning and genetic manipulation. Bioethics has been widely debated and the Catholic Church maintains its firm stance against any exploitation involving human nature. Now if you are a Catholic, you should begin to reflect if you have committed any of these sins including corruption, unjust wage to workers, and polluting the environment. Here is the list:

1. Bioethical violations including in-vitro fertilization, cloning and genetic manipulation.
2. Human experimentation such as stem cell research
3. Drug dependence, drug pushing and drug trafficking
4. Environmental pollution and illegal logging
5. Marginalization of the poor and rich
6. Superfluity or obscene amounts of wealth
7. Economic injustice including unjust labor practices, child labor and creating poverty

While most of the anti-catholics see this as a “demand” or an “arrogance” from the church, I see no reason why they should react to this, since they do not believe in the Catholic Church, they are not catholics and that they are not obliged to obey them. In short, they are not technically governed by this. Though I respect their opinion, but I think there is really no point in bashing one’s belief as if everyone has committed the same mistakes in the past since all of us are governed by our own conscience. It’s like a Cow saying to the chicken “hey don’t lay eggs!”. and the chicken replied “don’t produce milk”. Religious chaos and indifference will go on and on if we don’t respect each other’s freedom of religion. I think one should reflect his own life instead of meddling with others. hey man, get a life of your own and stop bashing those who express their right to belief. Walang Pakielaman!

 

Peace and harmony among all religions!

 

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  1. 8 Comment(s)

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  2. By chuvaness on Mar 12, 2008 | Reply

    i am guity of number 5 and yeah, 6 too….BWAHAHAHHAHA

    chuvaness’s last blog post..Why I Wouldn’t Settle

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    bluepanjeet reply on March 12, 2008:

    haha sana ako din. ako naman number 4. mahilig kasi ako kumain ng kamote eh. minsan di ko matiis ma pollute ang air LOL

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  3. By Leap of Faith! on Mar 12, 2008 | Reply

    Bluep, nakakatawa naman yung comment niyo ni Chuvaness. Mukhang guilty din ako sa air pollution although hindi naman ako makain ng kamote - Hahaha!

    Anyway, hindi ko alam ang religion ni Oprah but if she were Catholic I’m sure she would not be guilty of No. 6. I guess it becomes a sin if you don’t use the gifts the God has given you to help the needy. Obviously, those who are corrupt (even if you help other people) are guilty pa rin of stealing!

    Leap of Faith!’s last blog post..Would you buy this?

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    bluepanjeet reply on March 12, 2008:

    Brother!!!!! Hahaha. I guess all of us are guilty of the No.6.

    I apologize for failing to elaborate #5 and #6 due to time constraints. Medyo nagsasanay na ako mag post ng at least 2-3 paragraphs lang at hindi monster posts LOL.

    Kidding aside, according to the documents (papal encyclicals) that we studied during my seminary stint, marginalization of the poor and rich means that there is an existing discrimination. For example in a mall, you cannot just brush away a customer on the basis that he or she is wearing slippers. o kaya palakasan sa isang kaso na nasa korte in favor of the rich. Or pwede ring exclusivity of something public and excluding the poor. parang ganon.

    Then on #6, its not about how many money you have. and you are correct, it’s how you share that money to others and how one acquire it. If ever Oprah becomes a Catholic, I think she’s not guilty of that since we all know how she spends so much money on the poor in africa and in her show. Plus economically speaking, the millions of dollars she has, is used to feed thousands of employees at her payroll. I think what the church means is that, when you have something, you have to share it to others especially the wealthy guys featured in Fortune magazine.

    I read in CathCath’s blog (http://cathcath.com) that the number 1 richest man in the world (I forgot his name) spends most of his money to charities. and that guy is not even catholic. I guess that would be a best example of the #6. sharing graces with others, not just your excess but a part of your whole.

    Buti na lang nois, di nakaka pollute ng air ang donuts kungdi dalawa na tayo guilty haha

    Good Afternoon

    bluepanjeet’s last blog post..Vatican released new list of 7 deadly sins

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    Kotsengkuba reply on March 12, 2008:

    bakit ayaw gumana yung reply comment!?

    pero agree ako sa bagong system of posting mo, hinay hinay lang dahil para mo kaming binibigyan ng sandamukal na assignments pag mahabang posts. hahaha! but it’s your blog anyway.

    on bashing of each other’s religions, kung ganyan nang ganyan, puro kontrahan ng religions lahat tayo sa impyerno ang bagsak dahil sa magkakaiba ang prinsipyo ng bawat isang secta. i still believe that we should respoect each others personal belief. that’s the core of religion (or so i thought)

    Kotsengkuba’s last blog post..Cheap Cebu Pacific Flights is not so cheap, it’s exaggeratedly expensive.

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  4. By bluepanjeet on Mar 12, 2008 | Reply

    KK, naka thread comment ka na. Usually if the last comment that you will reply to, the comments area move unnoticed kaya kala mo di sa thread comment nakatapat.

    anyhoo, salamat at agree ka. Nagmumukha ng factory ng term paper etong blog ko LOL. Usually ginagawa ko yun for my own satisfaction para in the future I will have a reference. Minsan kasi pag links lang nawawala kaya I tend to do myown research. Forte ko kasi ang Research at Thesis kaya kahit dito sa blog nadadala ko. Feeling ko naman, yung readers eh mga extudyante ko LOL

    That’s absolutely true. You know the funny thing is, these people who grumble on the Catholic religionis not catholic themselves. I really wonder why they are so mad at the Pope since they are not governed by his Papacy. Another thing is, they are not doing this to moslems. I think its a double standard. They bash only the religion wherein they are safe and which they know that will not retaliate them. Why can’t we have a common respect for each other? I have moslem, buddhist an Born again Christian readers here and I do not question their belief nor do I impose my belief on them. I just wish some bloggers would be more respectful of other religions because sometimes, too much bickering on religion reflects emptiness in their own lives. There is nothing to lose if one believes or not. Nor to obey the dictum of their respective religions. It’s just a matter of letting be what others want. Plain and simple.

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  5. By Sidney on Mar 13, 2008 | Reply

    “I think one should reflect his own life instead of meddling with others”.

    Well that is exactly what the church is doing… always trying to make us feel guilty.
    I don’t see the point except that they might want us to go to Church to ask for pardon.

    No use of condoms, no in vitro fertilization, no stem cell research…
    I think it is fundamentally wrong to claim that those things are sins.
    It is a pattern that exists since the Inquisition!

    If I use a condom or use in vitro fertilization I don’t like it when people say I am a sinner. This is simply not true!

    Why can’t we have a concerned Church, a Church of Love, a Church that listen to the needs of the world?

    [Reply]

    bluepanjeet reply on March 13, 2008:

    Wow sid, I admire your honesty for that.

    Well I really cannot speak for the Church itself, since I am only a member of the Church. Yet in my own opinion and as the way I see it, the Church serves only as a guide for us. We have our own consciences to tell us if we are really guilty or not of those so-called sins that we have. By way of speaking, if one’s conscience is telling us that there is no wrong in doing such acts, therefore we are not obliged to do what the church says (and I’m speaking here in the context of free will and not on the context of culpability). The Catholic Church respects our free will very much and it has a deeper meaning as one might think otherwise.

    The church also abide in rules and dictums. just like every country, institution, organization etc. These rules help us to become more prudent in our actions. If we don’t have those rules, then therefore all is in chaos just like a country where anarchy reigns. Yet the lighter side of it is that we are not forced to obey it. Unlike in the rule of law of a certain country, we cannot disobey any law just like that.

    We are not also free to choose our citizenship in order to go somewhere else that has softer laws. But the Catholic Church gives us this freedom with no strings attached. We can always look for other religion or churches that will make us fulfilled, conscientious, happy and free.

    I always think of the Church as our parents. Didn’t we all have our own rules at home that when we try to disobey them we are given punishment or reprimands by our parents? We feel guilty because we know in our conscience that we have hurt them by disobeying them. But they never make us feel guilty about it (and I’m talking about parents in general). Suffice it to say we feel guilty because we know we have transgressed against their will. and we are not yet that capable of deciding for ourselves. we still need their wisdom in order to grow as a better person. Guilt is only present when one feels and knows that he has done something wrong. That is the very nature of guilt. If we believe that we have done nothing wrong, then there is really no need to feel guilty. Yet our parents’ love for us does not diminish because we are their children. They do not throw us in the streets and tell us to find another parents. But we always have our own free will to move out of our ancestral homes if we feel the need for early emancipation. But, with all our freedom to run away from our parents, they still seek us in order to be loved and embraced. Same thing with the Catholic Church.

    The Church listens to our every plea, every yearnings and every needs. But just like our parents, there are needs (because of our state as a human) that is not really appropriate for us. If parents will give us everything we desire, we will all grow up as spoiled brats (just like my friend by the way). They limit us for our own good, yet we all have the freedom to pout and cry about it. But our parents will still be firm in their rules, not because they don’t love us nor listens to our plea, but because they wanted us to grow as conscientious persons. Same thing with the Catholic church.

    As well versed in dogmas and canon of the church as I am, yet like you,I am also a layman who does not know everything. The rules of the catholic church is not just made by bishops out of consensus. It is practically extracted from the Gospels of Jesus and the Torah of the Old Testament passed on from the apostles to the present bishops for two thousand years. The names and specificity might differ and develop as Popes come and go, yet in full scrutiny we can see that the context of the 10 commandments and the beatitudes are all the same. The Catholic church just widened the definition of each commandment and adapting it to our modern times. Like for example the numbers 1-4 above, it is still in the context of the fifth commandment which is “Thou Shall Not Kill”. To explain it further will take us a lot of space so let me just spare the details here, without deviating from point.

    All our rules does not stifle us, yet it serves as a guide to actually practice our own free will to choose what we feel is best for our own lives.

    Thank you sid for sharing your views. I appreciate it very much. :smile:
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  6. By Sidney on Mar 13, 2008 | Reply

    I accept and respect that you don’t do the “sins” that I am doing in my life. It is your choice and your lifestyle.

    But I am irked that the Catholic Church calls me a sinner.

    [Reply]

    bluepanjeet reply on March 13, 2008:

    I agree with you in some points brother. But who among us are not sinners? all of us are. If we aren’t then we are already God. Remember that the popes and the saints also refer to themselves as sinners whenever they are praying or preaching.

    Mother Teresa whom the world calls as the living saint, refered to herself as “a poor” sinner many times in the pages of her diary. St. Francis of assisi also prays to God by referring to himself as a sinner. Biblical figures and Characters in the new testament kneel before the Lord and aknowledging themselves as sinners. and St. Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes, in her death bed uttered the words “Forgive me Lord for I am a sinner”.

    Being a sinner and being called as one is not a negative label. It is actually a re-affirmed truth of our nature as human beings. It is also a way of humility in praying to God because only HIM is sinless.

    The Church calls us sinners because that is our very nature and not as a prejudice to us. Because how can we be holy if sin does not exist? how can we ask for forgiveness if we do not have any transgressions? and how do we see the light if darkness does not exist?

    again thank you sid for this wonderful opportunity of exchanging thoughts and opinions. Its really healthy to share different views from other people.

    Pax et Bonum Kapatid.

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  7. By jolz on Mar 14, 2008 | Reply

    :shock: now im a bigtime sinner according to church. what else is there?

    however, with stem cell research, i dont think its too much to wander in science.

    first of all, this is for the good of mankind. stem cell can help people in need of paiyakang medication. yung tipong hopeless case talaga. it’s not that we’re controlling someone else’s destiny or fate pero there is hope in stem cell research.

    ayon nga kay FPJ eh “wag nating alisin ang pag-asa sa isang tao, baka yun na lang ang nalalabi sa kanya”

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  8. By wangbu on Mar 16, 2008 | Reply

    I am really pro life thus totally against abortions, and other bioethical violations yet I am really surprise with this drastic Vatican act.

    wangbu’s last blog post..Ravening Rococo Researches

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  9. By wangbu on Mar 16, 2008 | Reply

    I am really pro life thus totally against abortions, and other bioethical violations yet I am really surprise with this drastic Vatican act. :oops:
    wangbu’s last blog post..Ravening Rococo Researches

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